1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a ski boot holder which comprises a collapsible handle attached to a heel frame, which is connected to elastic toe retaining means. The toe retaining means may include a toe frame which helps to hold the boots in proper alignment in the holder. The heel frame and toe frame may be designed to collapse for easy carrying in the skier's pocket when not in use on the ski boots.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,117 issued to Fox shows a device for holding boots in an upright position with the boot soles in a generally horizontal plane, but Fox's device is intended for high-heeled cowboy boots, and it is a bulky device, not really intended to be used as a boot carrier (no carrying handle is shown). The main purpose of the Fox device is to aid in the removal of high topped cowboy boots, and to hold the soles in shape while drying so that the toes do not curl.
Voster et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,891, also shows boots held side by side on a generally U-shaped frame, and the boots may be exhibited or stored with the soles resting flat on the floor, or with the soles extending upright. This Voster et al device could not be considered collapsible in the sense that the subject ski boot holder is capable of being folded to even smaller dimensions so that it can easily be carried in the skier's pocket when the boots are being worn for skiing. Voster et al's handle is disposed at the toe end of the boots. The sliding frame rails of Voster et al's device clamp the boots in position, and they are locked there by means of a resilient tongue which is urged against a row of serrations.
Other patents directed to ski boot holders are listed below:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date ______________________________________ 3,210,787 Allsop I 1965 3,237,226 Gjesdahl 1966 3,397,416 Celli 1968 3,441,967 Salzman 1969 3,729,760 Allsop II 1973 3,737,933 Wunder 1973 4,160,301 Woolley 1979 ______________________________________
None of these latter patents shows the side-by-side (boot soles horizontal) alignment made possible with the subject invention. Most of these earlier patents show a pre-occupation with clamping and holding the toes of the ski boots to prevent curling. Such clamping is not required with the more recently developed plastic ski boots, which hold their shape indefinitely even when subjected to wet conditions.
The above U.S. patents are all directed to boot holders which are more complicated to make, and which are more complicated to use. None of the above patents shows a collapsible ski boot holder which can be made into a pocket-size package when not in use, and which holds the boots in an upright position for easy transport while traveling to and from the ski slopes. The subject ski boot holder keeps the boots in a neat, compact unit which is easy to carry using the handle which extends upward between the backs of the boots.